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No doubt many of us grew up with certain superheroes, whether in comic books, cartoons, movies, action figures or any other shape or form. The popularity of Marvel and DC has made superheroes a bit of an inevitability in modern pop culture, this way inspiring multiple generations of artists, writers, and cosplayers to remix and build upon its fantastic universes.

Paul Harding, an action figure designer and sculptor, is one such individual inspired by all things superhero. Recently, he kicked off a series of superhero designs titled Marvel In The 70s, which is exactly what it sounds like—Marvel Universe superheroes the way they’d look in the 1970s.

Image Credits: Paul Harding

Bored Panda invites you to check out some of Paul Harding’s best designs in the series below along with an exclusive interview with the artist. While you’re down there, why not vote and comment on the ones you liked the most?

#1

Logan

Logan

Paul Harding Report

Paul Harding is a sculptor, illustrator, concept artist, and designer of action figures and statues. During his 17 years in the industry, Paul has created a myriad of action figures and sculptures for various superheroes, supervillains from the DC, Marvel, Star Wars, and a number of other universes.

“As a child, action figures were a big part of my life, like for many kids my age. Star Wars, DC Super Powers, and Marvel Secret Wars were major areas of my collecting focus. Later, in my teen years, comics and movies began to take my attention with Star Wars, Batman, and the X-Men,” explained Paul of his fascination with the superhero universes.

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Paul gave us a brief rundown on how he makes his sculptures a reality:

“As an action figure and statue sculptor of 17 years, I’ve had the opportunity to work on many characters. I do them all digitally using Zbrush, articulate the joints, cut up the statue parts, and 3D print for painting and production.”

“For my new personal project called Marvel In The 70s, I use a similar process, except I render them with materials, textures, and color in another program so that they become more like illustrated portraits that focus on the characters’ essence. I hope that people are able to imagine a whole story in their heads when they see them.”

“I chose the 1970s because it is such a grim time in comics with tons of racial diversity and edgy storylines. To bring these to life in a modern way was a fun challenge.”

#8

Captain America

Captain America

Paul Harding Report

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Sculpting, like many other forms of art, comes with its own challenges and in Paul’s case, it’s no different. Besides every sculpture coming with its own unique takes and quirks to deal with, there’s also the sheer amount of effort and time required to ensure that every detail fits the character and their aesthetics:

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“As a current sculptor for both DC action figures and Marvel Legends figures, I always want to add something a little different to each character so they look unique in some way. The process can be similar across the board, but each project is unique and often refreshing if this approach is taken. Many times, the larger 1:6 scale statues can be more challenging because they require more detail and time. Also, depending on the licensor, I can have more or less flexibility when it comes to a character’s look.”

#12

Captain Marvel

Captain Marvel

Paul Harding Report

Now, Paul has also launched another project that is kind of doing the same thing as Marvel in the 70s, where people of today are shown the superheroes in their 70s light, except the other way around:

“With my newest projects, I am taking “Golden Age” DC Comics characters (from the 1930s and 1940s) like Batman and Superman and reimagining their costumes 100 years later, around 2040, in a futuristic way.”

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#15

Bucky Barnes

Bucky Barnes

Paul Harding Report

As it has become tradition with articles on superheroes, we asked Paul about his favorite superheroes and supervillains. He had this to say:

“I have always loved Batman, Wolverine, and The Joker. I also really like Marvel’s Kung-Fu, mystical, and cosmic character mostly from the 1970s.”

Paul is currently working on Marvel action figures, Marvel animated mini statues, Star Wars busts, and DC Comics action figures and statues of all sizes. So, be sure to stay tuned for more superhero (and supervillain) goodness by following Paul on his Twitter and Instagram.

#16

Daredevil

Daredevil

Paul Harding Report

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#18

Iron Man

Iron Man

Paul Harding Report

#19

Peter Parker

Peter Parker

Paul Harding Report

#20

Gwen Stacy

Gwen Stacy

Paul Harding Report

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#23

Deathlok

Deathlok

Paul Harding Report

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#24

Red Skull

Red Skull

Paul Harding Report

#26

Nick Fury

Nick Fury

Paul Harding Report

#28

Iron Fist

Iron Fist

Paul Harding Report

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#29

Black Panther

Black Panther

Paul Harding Report

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#31

The Punisher

The Punisher

Paul Harding Report

#32

Morbius The Living Vampire

Morbius The Living Vampire

Paul Harding Report

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#33

Nova

Nova

Paul Harding Report

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drsybaris avatar
drsybaris
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

One of the best costume designs to come from the bronze era bullpen! Looking forward to seeing him done right on the big screen, someday. Now if only we some of his really bizarre rogues gallety!

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#35

Dr. Doom

Dr. Doom

Paul Harding Report

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#36

White Tiger

White Tiger

Paul Harding Report

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Tony Padua
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sons of The Tiger were some of Marvel's most interesting characters in their 70s Kung Fu lineup!

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#37

Jack "The King" Kirby

Jack "The King" Kirby

Paul Harding Report

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Daria B
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Glad to see Stan Lee is not alone on this list. Kirby and Ditko are legends as well, and all the other artists are amazing too. Thank you all for your great work!

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#38

The Kingpin

The Kingpin

Paul Harding Report

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Your Mother
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This looks amazing, although it doesn't look like an action figure!

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#41

Shang-Chi

Shang-Chi

Paul Harding Report

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Nicholas Yu
Community Member
3 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

"We shooting this porn or what? My Viagra is starting to wear off!"

#42

Brother Voodoo

Brother Voodoo

Paul Harding Report

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Daria B
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Does he give this necklace to Black Panther at some point in the original comics? Just curious.

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#46

Silver Surfer

Silver Surfer

Paul Harding Report

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